Childhood Trauma
by Jeanny
Summary: What if at age seven Buffy was already having prophetic dreams? And what if she was brought to a special dream therapy program...in Sunnydale? (Finally updated - thank so much for your patience!)
1. Chapter One

Title: Childhood Trauma

Author: Jeanny

E-mail: jeannygrrl@hotmail.com

Rating: PG

Spoilers: None

Distribution/Archive: Go right ahead, if you like, just let me know where it's going. Like all my stories, it's archived at http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/crazymeltyland. 

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel the Series and all the characters that appear on the show are the exclusive property of Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, The WB, UPN, Mutant Enemy, Inc. and any one else with a legal binding claim to the shows and/or characters. No copyright infringement is intended. 

Feedback: Would be much appreciated.

Summary: What if at age seven Buffy was already having prophetic dreams? And what if she was brought to a special therapy program...in Sunnydale?

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Buffy watched through the glass as her parents talked softly to the doctor. She pretended to be absorbed in watching the other children, and in a way she was. It was the biggest room Buffy had ever seen; no amount of cheerful drawings and shelves of books and toys could make it seem totally comfortable because of its size. It had to be big, because there were a lot of children. More than Buffy could count, and she was good with her counting. Some were playing together, but most were strangely solitary, coloring or reading or staring into space. Almost all of them looked sad, and it made her want to cry. Well, even more than she already did. Buffy bit her lip and steeled herself. She wasn't a baby and she wouldn't cry. Crying is part of what got her here in the first place. 

"I'm just not sure," her mother fretted, and Buffy tuned in carefully while still scanning the room of children.

"I know this is hard," the doctor answered, and Buffy heard the sympathy in the woman's voice for what it was: completely fake. "But from everything you've told me, I really think Buffy will benefit from our program. We've helped a lot of children here, Mr. and Mrs. Summers. Children like your daughter."

"There sure are a lot of them in there," Hank said with a shaky laugh. "I had no idea this problem even existed. I mean, bad dreams...everyone has them."

"Yes, of course," the doctor answered, and Buffy shivered at the brief iciness in her tone, "Nightmares aren't uncommon. But from what you and your wife have told me, Buffy's nightmares have begun to affect her behavior. You said that she's become more withdrawn, moody, her schoolwork has suffered."

"She won't talk about it," Joyce confirmed. "She started to, once, but what she was saying made no sense..."

"Dr. Ephor, we just want to do what's best for our daughter," Hank said, and Buffy had to bite her lip harder at the tremor she heard in her father's voice. Her daddy sounded like he was going to cry. Her parents were worried about her, a lot. She knew that, but she still wished they hadn't found out about this place. 

Buffy didn't like it here. Not in this building, and definitely not in Sunnydale, California. On the trip over, her mother had joked about moving here, it seemed so inviting, and Buffy had nearly burst into tears. Only fear of having to explain herself had kept the tears at bay. There was no way for her to explain that Sunnydale looked like a good place, but it wasn't. Buffy could tell. She'd always been able to do that, and she'd always known somehow that her parents couldn't, and that she shouldn't tell them. Buffy shivered again, and the three adults suddenly seemed to remember she was there. She felt her mom's gentle touch on her shoulder and she looked up at her.

"Are you cold, sweetie?" her mom asked, and Buffy nodded. She wasn't, of course, but it was a better explanation for the shiver than the truth, certainly. She felt bad telling lies to her parents, but the truth was...simply impossible for a seven year-old to explain. The nightmares were about real things that either had already happened or were going to happen. Things Buffy couldn't possibly know about, but did. And it was all real, not make-believe. Buffy didn't know how she could be so sure of that, but she was. Her mother helped her slip on the sweater and button it, her eyes bright with sudden tears.

"Do you want to go in and play, Buffy?" the doctor asked with false sweetness. Buffy stole a glance back at the woman, repressing another shiver. The doctor wasn't a good person, she knew that much. All adults look gigantic to a child of seven, but Dr. Ephor towards over even Buffy's dad, making him seem small by comparison. Her mousy brown hair was drawn back into a bun, and her thin lips curled into what was supposed to be a comforting smile, but her eyes glittered coldly. They were so dark they were practically black, and Buffy was scared most of all by the understanding that she'd seen those eyes before. Those eyes were part of the reason she was here.

Doctor Ephor was terrifying, but Buffy's parents didn't seem to find her scary, taking comfort in her assurances. Buffy frowned at her parents. Her mom and dad were holding hands, looking so lost and frightened that Buffy was reluctant to leave them. She looked back into the room of children, and her eyes were drawn to a far corner she hadn't looked in before. There were two children sitting there, a boy and a girl, at a table they had drawn as far away from the others as they could. The girl seemed so small and frail that initially Buffy had thought she might still be a baby, but watching her stick her tongue just slightly out of her mouth as she colored so carefully, she realized she was older, Buffy's age even. The girl's long copper hair was pulled into a ponytail that the boy played with idly, earning himself a small smile and a shooing hand from her before she returned to her drawing. The boy was definitely older, and bigger. His dark hair fell across his forehead like a mop as he glared at anyone who dared come near them, not that anyone did or cared. When she wasn't looking in his direction he was watching his friend, his expression full of concern. Unlike the other kids in the room, who seemed to be trying to avoid contact with each other even when they were playing together, these two were trying to stay as close as possible. Buffy could see they were holding hands, and she had the feeling they hadn't let go the whole time they were there. Suddenly the girl looked up and met her gaze steadily. Buffy subconsciously took a step back.

"Buffy?" she heard her mother call uncertainly. Buffy ignored her, the haunted look in the girl's eyes was too compelling. A moment later the girl's lips moved, and despite the distance Buffy knew exactly what she had just said. It was like she'd heard it in her mind at the moment the redheaded girl spoke. 

*Help us.*

"I wanna play, Mommy," Buffy said hastily, giving her mother and father each a quick hug and kiss. 

"Okay, honey," her dad said, bewildered as she bounded into the room. She was heading straight for the girl and her friend in the corner, but then something stopped her. She looked back and saw Dr. Ephor watching her, her lip curling unpleasantly. Buffy saw an unused coloring book and crayons on a nearby table and settled down, her back to the door and the prying eyes of the doctor. She began to absently color a picture, still feeling those eyes on her back. Then just as surely she knew that they were gone. Probably her parents with some more questions or fears. It didn't matter, as long as she could talk to the red-haired girl that needed her help. She approached cautiously, as the boy turned his baleful eye upon her.

"Go 'way," he growled, like a lion protecting its cub. The girl didn't look up, her face turned down to her drawing.

"Why?" Buffy asked, and the question seemed to surprise him. He considered her for a moment.

"'Cause," he finally said, seeming to be satisfied with his answer. Buffy shrugged.

"I don't wanna," she said, hands on hips. She saw his grip on the redhead tighten.

"She don't want you here."

"You're a liar."

"Nuh-uh!" the boy cried, outraged.

"Uh-huh," Buffy countered. "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

"You leave us alone," he hissed. "I can make you."

"Why you 'fraid of me?" she asked teasingly and he blinked in surprise.

"Am not 'fraid of you!" he insisted.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

At this the girl finally looked up. To Buffy's pleased surprise, she shook her head and rolled her eyes, giving them both a small smile. Then she motioned to the empty chair in front of her. Buffy immediately sat, giving the boy a smug look, including a quick sticking out of the tongue for good measure. The boy looked at his friend in surprise, and she met his gaze steadily. They said nothing, yet Buffy thought it looked like they were fighting, and the girl was winning. Finally he shrugged.

"Fine. You can sit with us, but you better be nice."

"Okay," Buffy agreed cheerfully. "I'm Buffy."

"I'm Xander," he said, still a touch sullenly, "and she's Willow." Willow looked up and gave her a quick sunny smile, gone so fast Buffy thought she might have imagined it. Buffy's brow furrowed.

"Why'd ya talk for her?"

"Willow don't talk to nobody but me." Willow gave him a reproachful look, and he said to her, "You do so talk to me! Just cause it's not in words and..." She continued to stare at him and he caved. "Fine. She just don't talk." Willow gave him a raised eyebrow, and he hastily amended, "Doesn't talk."

"Why not?" Buffy asked, addressing the question to Willow. The girl looked up at her and shrugged, then glanced at Xander. Buffy looked at him as well. "Can't she talk?"

"Of course she can," Xander bristled. "Willow's smart. She just don't wanna no more."

"Oh," Buffy said, unsure what to do now. She had come over sure that this girl needed her, but she had no idea what she needed her to do. Willow grabbed Xander's arm and jerked her head towards Buffy, nodding so vigorously that Buffy thought her head might come off. Xander seemed surprised.

"She wants me to tell you," he said in a stage whisper, and Buffy instinctively drew herself closer. "Willow don't talk cause she's scared. And cause when she told they sent her here. Nobody believes her. Nobody but me," he added, throwing an affectionate and possessive arm around the girl's shoulder.

"I'll believe her," Buffy said, and she knew it was true. Willow eyed her hopefully. "What'd she tell? What's she so 'fraid of?"

"The monsters," Xander said, as Willow solemnly slid her drawing forward. Buffy looked down at Willow's drawing. It was two men, men with yellow faces and dark eyes and large pointed teeth like walruses. "They think she dreamed 'em, but she's seen 'em. They're real." Buffy looked up, her face white. She slid the paper back, her hand trembling slightly.

"I've seen them too." At this, Xander reached out and grabbed her hand as well, concern and fear knitting his brow.

"Where?"

"I did dream them. I dreamed them, and that doctor lady...and other stuff, too. That's why I'm here." Xander jerked his hand away suspiciously.

"You're making fun!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Willow stopped this one by slamming her palm down on the picture angrily and shaking her head at both of them. Xander sighed.

"She doesn't want us to fight," he said. Off of another pleading look from the redhead, he added, "She says she believes you, too." Willow's other hand crept towards Buffy, and she took it. Then she reached out her free hand towards Xander. He stared at it for a long moment, then to her surprise he grabbed hold. He stared at her with a strange fixed concentration that made her feel funny, like he was really looking at her for the first time.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"You've got pretty hair," Xander said softly, turning red and looking down at the table. Buffy blushed and smiled, and he smiled back. Willow squeezed his hand to get his attention and nodded at Xander. "Will thinks so too."

"It's not as nice as Willow's," Buffy said. Willow smiled shyly. Buffy frowned at Xander. "How come you're here? Bad dreams too?"

"I said so. I lied. Will needed me," he said simply. 

"You faked nightmares?" Buffy asked, remembering the look on her mom's face when she awoke screaming. Xander's expression became tight and sad.

"My mom and dad wouldna...I told the school nurse I had them." Willow gave him a reproachful look and he sighed. "And I kinda threw a fit. The school made my mom and dad bring me."

Willow gave him a grateful smile, then let go of Buffy's hand to point at her drawing again. She looked at Buffy questioningly.

"Right. Monsters. Tell me about them?" Buffy asked. Willow looked down at the table, biting her lip, and Xander frowned.

"You should tell her, Will." Under the encouraging gaze of her friends, old and new, Willow opened her mouth-

"Well, how are we doing over here?" Dr. Ephor's voice sounded loudly with false cheer, and the children froze.

********

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters that appear on the show are the exclusive property of Joss Whedon, UPN, Mutant Enemy, Inc. and any one else with a legal binding claim to the shows and/or characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: I don't think I made it completely clear in Part 1, but this is an AU piece...not saying when it's done it might not fit into the regular show, but in my mind it's AU. Hope that clears up any confusion that might have been out there.

***********

Willow's gaze immediately dropped back to the table. Buffy and Xander eyed the doctor solemnly, Buffy trying nonchalantly to push Willow's picture out of view. Unfortunately the doctor's sharp eyes caught the movement and she put her hand down on the paper. 

"Can I see that, Buffy?" she asked with artificial gentleness. Buffy nodded helplessly, and Dr. Ephor took the drawing. She looked at it for a few minutes, frowning. "Which one of you drew this?" she asked sharply.

"I did," Buffy said quickly. "Saw the monsters...in a movie...my mommy said I shouldn't watch it cause it was scary, but I did it anyway."

"And it gave you nightmares?" Dr. Ephor asked in disbelief, and Buffy nodded.

"They wanted to hurt me."

"But you know they're not real, Buffy," the doctor said. The woman's eyes were firmly fixed on Willow, and Buffy knew she wasn't really buying her story. "You said yourself they're from a movie. And movies are make-believe."

"Not always," Xander chimed in. "My mommy said sometimes movies are real, and they call them dog-or-men-trees. Why do they call them that? They hafta be about dogs or men?"

"Or trees. Who'd wanna watch a movie 'bout trees?" Buffy added. Willow put her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her smile as she continued to stare at the tabletop. Dr. Ephor scowled, and when she spoke again her voice was gravelly and harsh.

"Documentaries," she snapped, emphasizing the word, "do not include monsters. Monsters are not real." The three children sat with their heads bowed. Dr. Ephor sighed, and her compassionate facade slipped back into place. "Buffy, I know you mean well, but the sooner you let go of the fantasy, the sooner you can get better. The sooner all of you," she said, pointedly looking at Willow, "will get better."

There was a beat, then the doctor spoke again, and the nasty voice was back.

"And none of you will leave here until you do."

Tears sparkled on Willow's cheeks, and Xander and Buffy each clutched one of her hands, squeezing tight. They were as surprised as the doctor when Willow looked up at Dr. Ephor defiantly, her scornful expression saying what she thought of the doctor and her threats as clearly as words. To punctuate her nonverbal harangue, she stuck her tongue out. Dr. Ephor smiled coldly.

"It really won't do for you to defy me, dear. I'm afraid I must now call your parents and tell them you'll all be spending the night here with us. And visiting you at this point in your 'treatment' would certainly be detrimental, I'm afraid."

"You can't do that," Buffy said, ashamed of how her voice quivered. Her parents couldn't have thought she'd have to spend the night, they would have brought her-

"It's done, Buffy. I'll have them bring around your overnight things. I'll tell the orderlies to get the beds ready. You'll see, this really is the best for all of you." Satisfied with their horrified expressions, Dr. Ephor turned smartly and walked away. 

"Now what?" Xander asked, as Buffy's eyes filled with tears.

"I don't want to stay here," the blonde whispered. "This is a bad place." Willow nodded, grabbing her hand. She swallowed hard, several times, clearing her throat and the others waited anxiously.

"I'm sorry," Willow whispered, covering her mouth with her hand the second the words were out like she could trap them back inside. Xander gave a soft crow of joy. He gave his friend a one-armed hug.

"You talked, Will. But don't be sorry. Not your fault that doctor's mean. You gonna talk from now on? I like it when you talk." His eyes shone hopefully, and she gave him a small smile.

"Yeah," Willow said after catching herself starting to nod instead. She smiled ruefully at the habit, before fixing Buffy with a grave look. "You really believe me? No foolin?" Buffy held out her hand.

"Pinky swear." The two girls executed the oath solemnly, then Buffy continued, "But you gotta tell me everything you know about this place. And about the monsters."

"Then what?" Willow asked, her lips barely moving.

"We make them go away," Buffy said with more confidence than she felt. She knew she was right, but she had no idea how.

"What can we do? We're just kids," Xander said hopelessly.

"But we're the only ones who know. So we just hafta." At Willow and Xander's doubtful looks, Buffy said hotly, "Okay, fine. Tell Dr. Ephor you know that they're make-believe and maybe you can go home."

"No," Willow whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't do that. They're bad monsters. And...and...they're out there."

"I don't want Will to get hurt," Xander said softly. "Or you. Or me!"

"No one's going to get hurt...I'll find a way. I promise." Her new friends nodded, instinctively believing in the diminutive blonde girl that they had only met that morning. There was just something about her that inspired confidence. Taking a deep breath and a firm grip on Xander's hand, Willow began to tell Buffy about the monsters.

"They come out at night," she said softly. "And they look like normal people, when they want to...to fool people. To make them trust them...so they can eat them..." Willow's eyes grew more haunted as she told her story...

[Forgotten. Again.

She refused to think the thought, but it was there nonetheless; truth unthought. Willow sat on the swings, idly twisting around and then releasing to let the swing's momentum whirl her around back to straight. She shivered as the last bits of the sun fell over the horizon, wishing she had her sweater. Wishing Xander didn't have the chickenpox - she knew he would have waited with her all night if need be, or taken her back to his house.

But instead she was alone. Willow knew could walk home; it really wasn't far. But her mother had insisted she wait for a ride, and if she left and then her mother came, she might get into trouble. She bit her lip in vexation, then made a decision, slowly standing up from the swing and giving one more long look up the street. Finally she stood and almost ran into someone's legs. She looked up into the eyes of stranger.

"Hey, are you lost?" the man asked with concern. Willow had been instructed not to talk to strangers, but her mother had also told her not to be rude. She settled for a quick headshake. "You're not lost. You here all by yourself? Where's your mommy?"

"She's behind you. Hi, Mommy!" Willow lied. She wasn't sure what made her lie; she was fairly certain she'd never lied to an adult before, and it made part of her feel bad, but the greater part of her was glad to see the man look over his shoulder. Willow turned and ran for home, as fast as her legs would carry her. It wasn't fast enough, however, as she heard the stranger gaining on her. He grabbed her by both arms and lifted her up, and it was then that she saw his face change. Willow screamed with all her might...

"Willow?" The voice came from an approaching car, and Willow opened her mouth to scream for her mother. The man immediately let her go, turning to squint into the headlights. Willow ran blindly for the car.

"That your little girl, ma'am?" the stranger said as Willow ran into the passenger door, opening it with fumbling fingers and finally wrenching it open. She waited for her mother to scream or react to the monster, but she seemed perfectly calm and a little distracted, as always.

"Willow, honey, calm down. Yes, she's my daughter. What were you doing with her?" Sheila Rosenberg asked with suspicion. The man smiled, and Willow realized that his face was back to normal. Her mother didn't know...

"I'm sorry," he said. "I thought she was lost, and I was just trying to help. I'm afraid I just frightened her." The last was said with a disarming laugh, and Willow could feel her mother start to relax. She locked her door and made herself as small on the seat as possible.

"I want to go home," Willow whispered, as the man moved closer to the car. From her low angle she could see his eyes still glittering with golden light; didn't her mother see that?

"I appreciate your intentions. I'm afraid I'm quite late - I got hung up in a faculty meeting - and we've inculcated in her the need to avoid talking to strangers, as most parents do. It's no wonder she reacted in an emotional-"

Willow saw the man's face change again, his fangs extending...

"I WANNA GO HOME!" she screamed, bursting into fresh tears.

"Willow!" her mother gasped in shock at the unexpected outburst.

"Please mommy, please mommy, please mommy, please mommy," Willow hiccuped through her sobs. Her mother looked apologetically at the stranger.

"I'm sorry, I have to go...I'm afraid someone's about to get a long lecture about anger management and social norms."

To Willow's overwhelming relief, she put the car in gear and drove away. When Willow stole a glance into the rearview mirror, she was shocked to see no one there. It surprised her enough to make her sit up in the seat and turn around, and then the monster was standing there, watching, his eyes glittering golden in the street lights. A couple came up, walking hand in hand past where the monster was standing. Just before Willow's mom turned the car around the corner, Willow saw him reach out and shove the man to the ground, grabbing the woman by the neck and biting down... 

Willow screamed, and her mother slammed on the brakes.

"My God, Willow, what has gotten into you?"

The young girl couldn't answer, she only cried harder. She never stopped crying all the way home, even though she could tell by the set of her mother's jaw it was making her angry. Her mother hadn't known. Why couldn't she see the monsters?...]

"...and then I started bein' scared all the time. And then..."

"You stopped talkin'," Buffy finished. Willow shrugged.

"No one was hearing, 'cept Xander."

"And I couldn't help," the boy said softly, looking down guiltily. "I didn't know what to do."

"Lotsa kids here...you think they all saw the monsters?" Buffy wondered.

"Maybe. They all have bad dreams," Xander shrugged. "But I don't think they're gonna help us. No one talks; everybody's too scared. And even if they did...I think we need grownup help. A grownup that believes us."

"What about your mommy and daddy?" Will asked Buffy softly. The blonde girl's chin trembled as she shook her head.

"They sent me here," she explained shortly, then her jaw tightened at their empathetic looks. "They would help if they knew it was real."

"What if no one can help?" Willow asked in a small voice. 

"You kids need help with something?" The voice made them all jump. None of them had noticed the orderly approaching; he was just suddenly there. Willow shrunk down in her seat as he towered over her, imposing despite the mildness of his tone and the somewhat ill fitting white uniform. He stood there staring expectantly, unsmiling but not really unfriendly. Silently they all shook their heads.

"We're okay," Buffy added for emphasis. "We just want to go home."

"Dr. Ephor said you're here for the night," the orderly said with a sigh. He ran his hand through closely cropped dark hair, his eyes troubled. "Listen, you need anything, and I mean anything, you call for me, okay?"

"Who are you?" Xander asked suspiciously. The man cracked an awkward smile, as if unfamiliar with the expression.

"I'm Angel."

************

"Everything is progressing according to plan?" the Master asked languidly, already knowing the answer but enjoying the sight of one of his new favorites prostrate before him. That this one had found a way to shave a decade off of his imprisonment made her that much more precious to him, though he had noted the glint of jealousy in Darla's eyes and hoped that his Nellie had marked it as well. He was fairly certain she had; not much got past the dark-eyed former doctor. 

"Yes," Nellie Ephor replied, and he motioned for her to rise. "The parents suspect nothing, and the children are too frightened to speak. Your minions have served you well, Master, making certain that the children have seen them but not the parents."

"A simple glamour, yet effective. How long before we can begin the ritual?"

"All influence are in the correct confluence tomorrow night."

The Master smiled as if this announcement had not been expected, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Tomorrow night...so soon. You have served me well, Nellie. I am very pleased."

"Thank you, Master," Dr. Ephor said enthusiastically, then hesitated. The Master picked up on it immediately, and his manner changed.

"You have a concern," he said coldly.

"A new patient. Seven year-old girl from Los Angeles. She's been having dreams, dreams which seem to be about vampires...her parents heard about our program and brought her here."

"And the problem?" the Master prodded. Nellie shifted nervously, her hands moving in a vague gesture as she tried to explain her nebulous dread.

"There's...something about her. Something different...it's probably nothing. Just a feeling I have."

"Still, we're far too close to risk unnecessarily. Your feelings have served you well, I believe we can trust them."

"I've convinced the parents she has to stay the night."

"Excellent. Take care of her."

"There will be questions-"

"Questions?" The Master interrupted reprovingly. "Questions are not a problem when you have answers, my dear." Nellie Ephor's mouth twisted in a cruel smile.

"The girl's instability, finally getting the better of her...tragic really," she said in mock regret. The Master shook his head, tutting in pretend commiseration.

"Sad, to lose one so young."

***********

To be continued...why yes, I *am* evil.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Still not mine. I keep hoping.

***********

Angel was amazed that he was getting away with it. So far none of the other vampires had even questioned that he was one of them, and he wasn't sure if he should be grateful or worried. He hadn't made it this far without a healthy dose of paranoia. Plus it was a good thing that vampires didn't sweat.

"How's it going?" came a voice from behind him, making him jump.

Angel whirled, automatically slipping into his true face before relaxing when he saw who it was.

"Don't do that!" he hissed at Whistler, pulling him out of the corridor. Once he was sure they hadn't been seen and were currently safe, he continued, "And I have no idea how it's going. I don't even know what I'm doing here."

"I told you. You're here to help those kids. Especially the blonde."

"Yeah, yeah, I know you told me that. I still don't get what I'm supposed to do. This place is full of kids that have seen vamps. Not to mention that if the ones that are running it figure out what I am..."

"You mean, all soulful?" Whistler asked, then added. "Relax. That's the least of your problems."

"Great. What now?"

"What's going down here with the Master, it's happening tomorrow. That means they'll try to take the girl out tonight. You can't let that happen."

"I'm only here because you said I could help stop the Master from rising. I don't get why I'm sticking my neck out for some little girl that I don't even know or care about."

"Because if you do, you'll get what you want," Whistler said, adding cryptically under his breath, "though you'll have to wait a few years." He punched a clearly puzzled Angel lightly on the arm. "Just keep an eye on them. Protect those kids, especially Buffy Summers."

"I'm not doing anything until you tell me what's so special about this girl!" Angel demanded, but Whistler had vanished. The vampire sighed. "I hate when he does that."

********

"The most important thing is we hafta stick together," Buffy said solemnly, and her new friends nodded vigorously, Xander's dark hair falling into this eyes. He brushed it back, suddenly worried.

"What if they try to put me someplace else, 'cuz I'm a boy!" 

Willow wrapped her arms around him and held on fiercely.

"You're not like other boys, you're Xander," she said firmly. "You hafta stay with us."

Xander looked a bit concerned by the first statement, then he settled for pleased. Buffy grinned.

"If they try, we just hafta figure something out," she said. "Plus we have to figure about the monsters."

"I have an idea," Willow said shyly, blushing furiously.

"Will has good ideas," Xander said proudly, making for an even more reddened redhead.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"You said you dreamed about the monsters, and the doctor and this place. Maybe there's an answer in your dreams, Buffy. If you tell us about them, maybe we can figure out how to stop the monsters!" Willow finished excitedly. Buffy looked uncertain, and Willow's face fell. "'Less you don't wanna."

"No, it's a good plan. It's just...I don't like talkin' 'bout it."

"Willow didn't like talkin' bout the monsters she saw," Xander pointed out, "she didn't like talkin' at all, but she did, cause you asked her to."

"It's okay," Willow said quickly.

"No, Xander's right. You told about your stuff. That's only fair."

"They really scary? Your dreams?" Xander asked in a small voice. "Cause I don't want Will to be more scared," he added with bravado.

"They're real scary, sometimes...but mostly they're just weird, cause I see stuff and then sometimes it happens when I'm not dreaming."

"Why?" Willow asked, and Buffy shrugged.

"Dunno. But I keep thinking there's gotta be a reason, right? If I dreamed about the monsters, and this place, and the doctor...and now I'm here..."

"What happened in your dream?" Willow asked. Buffy frowned and squeezed her eyes tight, trying to remember. "I saw...corridors...and beds...and Dr. Ephor, only her face was all like Willow's monsters...and there were other monsters like that too...a really ugly bald one, laughing..."

"We haven't seen any bald doctors or nothin yet. What else?" Xander asked.

"I know I saw other kids, like us...lots of them...all gathered together somewhere...it didn't look like the hospital...it looked...gray...and yucky...and everyone was scared...and then I saw two men...I didn't see their faces, but I knew they were good, there to help us."

"Grownups?" Xander said hopefully. Buffy nodded.

"And I heard a voice saying something over and over...it was weird...didn't make sense..."

"Do you remember what it was?" Willow asked.

"I think so...it said, 'They need a child to lead them, and lighten up the dark, the light that passes between them, if you just provide the spark.'"

"Are we gonna have to set a fire? Cause I'm not allowed to play with matches," Willow said worriedly. Buffy grinned despite her own concerns.

"I didn't see fire...or lights...just scary dark and kids that were really scared. But I felt like I was s'posed to do something, but I didn't know what. It was all weird," Buffy shrugged, then suddenly brightened. "We need sticks!" she whispered excitedly. Willow and Xander exchanged puzzled looks.

"Sticks?" Willow repeated.

"My cousin Rudy has that CD...but he never lets me borrow his things," Xander said hesitantly. When the two girls stared at him, he clarified. "Styx. Come Sail Away...Rock and roll band...they're not NKOTB, but I think they're cool."

"Not music. Sticks. Wooden sticks...like, this big," Buffy placed her hands a little less than a foot apart.

"Why do we need those?" Xander asked. "The monsters play fetch?"

Willow rolled her eyes while Buffy gave him an irritated look.

"No, silly. You stick them in the monsters and they go away." She pantomimed putting a stake into Xander's chest. "I saw it in my dream."

"They run away if you poke them?" he asked in disbelief.

"No, they don't run...they just...poof!" Buffy's hands moved wildly to try to simulate the dusting. Xander crossed his arms skeptically.

"Never seen a monster just go poof cause you poked it. Not in any comic book or any movie," he drawled. Buffy's hands balled into fists at her hips.

"It's what I saw!"

"Then it's what we hafta do," Willow said, her soft calm voice stopping the budding fight. Buffy smiled triumphantly as Xander scowled briefly, then relaxed and nodded.

"Right," Buffy crowed, then her expression became uncertain, "'cept, I dunno where we're gonna find sticks like that in here."

"I have an idea," Willow said a bit smugly.

******

Buffy was surprised at how easy it had been for them to sneak away from the group. At Willow's insistence, they had come up with a cover story about a missing sweater, but none of the nurses or orderlies seemed to even notice them as they crept through the corridors.

"Know what I really don't like about this place?" Buffy whispered.

"What?" Will asked, gripping Xander's hand a little tighter. Buffy gestured towards the wall to their left, which was the side of the building.

"They've shut up all the windows. You can't tell if the sun's out," she said. "The monsters don't like the sun."

"That's cause they're monsters," Xander added sagely. "Will, where are we going?" 

"We need to find the closet where they keep the supplies," Willow responded in a hushed tone.

"But they won't have what we need there," Xander insisted, but both girls ignored him.

"They will!" Willow countered in a harsh whisper, then added a bit more doubtfully, "I mean, they should." Xander grabbed her arm and pulled her back, making her give a little surprised squeak.

"Out with it Will," he hissed at her knowingly.

"Xander!" Buffy slapped his arm.

"Oww!" Xander said, rubbing his wound with exaggerated hurt. "Don't hit me. Will's figured somethin' out and she don't wanna say," he informed her. "Doesn't." Buffy was gonna protest, but the redhead's guilty look stopped her.

"It's just...if the monsters know the sticks can poof them, they probably got ridda the splints," Willow whispered miserably.

"Ridda what?" Xander asked.

"Splints. Like for when you break your arm."

"Doctor's don't use those anymore," Xander said confidently. Willow's face fell, and her lip quivered.

"That was my best idea," she bemoaned, eyes filling with easy tears. Xander immediately put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"It was a good idea, Will. But I've broken my arm, 'member? They use the white stuff."

"Plaster," Buffy mused. Seeing Willow's crestfallen look, and without another idea, she added, "Well, it won't hurt to look, anyway. Maybe there'll be something."

Willow's expression brightened a bit, and they waited while Buffy poked her head around the corner and then signaled the all clear. They crept down the corridor, Willow sandwiched between Xander and Buffy, and the redhead tugged their sleeves excitedly.

"There!" she cried, and they saw the door labeled supplies. They all exchanged victorious grins as they ran for it, and Xander turned the handle and opened it...and the grins turned to horrified grimaces. Willow gave a silent airless scream as Xander slammed the door shut.

"W-what was that?" he asked, his face pale as he held Willow's head against his shoulder. Buffy shook her head, but she knew. They all knew. It was just too horrible to deal with right now.

"We need to get out of here," she said in a trembling voice, and a shadow settled over her. She looked up into the yellow eyes of an orderly in full vamp face.

"Too late, sunshine," the vampire growled as he lifted her closer to his waiting lips.

***********

To Be Continued...feedback rocks, and helps with the whole writing thang.


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Still not mine. I keep hoping.

***********

The vampire's teeth brushed her neck and then his head suddenly jerked back. Buffy looked down and saw Willow and Xander both determinedly but ineffectually pummeling the monster with their fists. The vampire grinned.

"Awww. That's so cute." He raised his foot and kicked Xander, sending him sprawling. He landed hard and didn't move. Willow froze, her fists still raised but now uncertain. He looked down at her and laughed. "Look, small fry, I'll get to you in a second. Trust me, this one isn't gonna fill me up." Buffy struggled desperately as he squeezed her arms tighter to her sides, bringing his head down to her neck again. "Stop moving around so much, you're only going to make this worse," he said. Willow was standing directly in front of them, unsure what to do. She looked back at Xander and was relieved to see him pushing himself up dazedly, then back at Buffy who was about to get bitten. Then her eyes moved down the vampire and she had a sudden flash of memory. A flash of an accident Xander had while playing tee ball...Willow wrapped one of her small hands around the other in a double fist and thrust upwards with all her strength.

"Shyaaaah!" the vampire cried out, dropping Buffy to cradle his injured privates. Xander winced at Willow as he got to his feet, while Buffy grabbed her hand.

"Good job, Will," he said.

"Let's go!" Buffy ordered, and the three ran as fast as they could, their diminutive legs pumping hard as they rounded the corridors and headed for the relative safety of the common room.

"Almost there," Xander panted, then skidded to a stop when heard Willow shriek. Both he and Buffy turned to see their friend now in the vampire's clutches. He smirked at them triumphantly.

"All of a sudden, I feel like eating your friend here first," he said to them conversationally. "Don't worry, though, I'll get to you all. It's a little early, but I've been given the go ahead to eat you, so I'm thinking no one's going to mind."

"You get away from her, you...you...bad guy...or thing..." Buffy snarled.

"Ooooh. Scary. You're gonna have to work on the insults, babycakes. Oh, wait, no, sorry, you won't have time...and don't even think about it." The last was directed towards Xander, who was poised to duplicate the maneuver that had been so effective for Willow earlier. "The first time it was kind of funny. Try it again and I'll tear this one's legs off. That'll be even funnier."

"You're bad," Willow squawked and the vampire laughed.

"Why thanks, sweetie. It's nice of you to notice."

"Let her go."

That voice, deeper, more menacing, and coming from behind him, got the vamp's attention. Buffy's eyes lit up.

"Angel! He's going to help us!" Her look of joy quickly changed to one of horror when the orderly's face morphed to ridges as his eyes glittered dangerously.

"He's going to eat us!" Xander corrected fearfully as the vamp holding Willow dropped her to defend himself from Angel's attack. He practically lifted his dazed friend to her feet and grabbed her hand. "Let's go!" he cried to Buffy, and the three friends ran for their lives. They reached the playroom and their noisy entrance caused more than one child to look up, several of them whimpering. Xander grabbed Buffy's hand with his free hand and they moved to a corner where they stood huddled together, still panting from their run and the burst of adrenaline.

"Angel's a monster," Buffy sniffed, still not quite believing it.

" And he's got spikey monster hair, too. We should have known...they're all monsters," Xander said softly, shaking slightly. "Oh man."

"We've got to get out of here," Willow squeaked, speaking for all of them.

"Pssst! Kids!" The harsh whisper made them all jump. They turned as one in the direction of the voice and saw a strangely dressed man in an odd little hat was standing in the corner, wedged behind a bookcase so he couldn't be easily seen. He was beckoning them over with an exasperated look. "Can't believe he screwed this up already..." they heard him mutter as they tentatively approached.

"Who are you?" Buffy demanded, crossing her arms.

"And whatcha doin' hiding in the corner?" Xander added suspiciously.

"Don't get too close," Willow cautioned, her eyes wary. "He could be trying to trick us."

"Jeesh," the strange man muttered, "Tough crowd. Look, the name's Whistler-"

"Oooh!" Willow cooed. "Do you whistle?"

"No, I-"

"Then why they call you Whistler?" Buffy frowned.

"Pretty dumb name if you don't know how to whistle," Xander scoffed. The man's eyes were starting to glaze over slightly, and he held a hand up to silence them.

"Hey!" he snapped. "Never mind about my name! It's not important...ah crap kid...don't cry." The last was directed at Willow, whose eyes had filled with tears at his unkind tone. The other two were glowering at him, and Whistler sighed in frustration. He turned his head to the wall and muttered inaudibly, "Kids and dogs, kids and dogs, I told the Powers I don't work with kids and dogs..." Looking back at then, he smoothed out his tone and said, "Look...just kind of think of me as a messenger."

"Messenger?" Willow repeated perplexedly, and all thee kids seemed puzzled. Whistler swallowed hard. 

"Yeah...like an angel...sorta," he mumbled, hoping the Powers would understand his need to tell that little white lie. Balance demon, a bit beyond a seven year-old's comprehension of the universe. 

"Angel's a vampire," Buffy informed him sagely, and Whistler sighed.

"Yeah...you weren't really supposed to know that...but buck up, kids. I really came here to tell you two things. First, you can trust Angel. Yeah, he's a vampire, but he's a good guy. One of a kind..."

"I'm not buying," Xander said, and Willow looked doubtful.

"I believe him," Buffy said slowly. "You're on our side. And so is Angel...I just know it."

"You'll always believe in him, won't you doll?" Whistler smiled wonderingly, and the three children exchanged confused looks.

"What's the other thing?" Willow piped up.

"Someone else is coming to help you," Whistler cryptically intoned, waving offhandedly. "I can't say more."

"Is it the police?" Xander asked.

"No."

"A fairy?" Willow guessed. Whistler rolled his eyes.

"No. I can't-"

"My parents?" Buffy tried hopefully.

"No."

"A teacher!" Willow crowed triumphantly.

"No! I said I-"

"Superman?" Xander speculated.

"No, now listen-"

"Oh!" Willow exclaimed excitedly. "Is it Ralph Nader?"

"It's an Englishman!" Whistler cried desperately, his eyes on the ceiling. "As in a man. From England. Coming to help."

"Prince Charles?" Buffy said, nonplussed. Willow got even more excited, grabbing Xander's arm as she tried to contain herself.

"Oh! And Princess Di?" she squealed.

"No, and no! Just...just listen for the accent. You know what a British accent sounds like." All three nodded, though Xander seemed unsure. "Great. That's it. Trust Angel, watch for the Brit. I'm out of here." 

"But-" The door crashing open distracted Buffy from her protest. Angel came running in, skidding to a stop when he saw them, his human face showing clear relief. The three children and the vampire eyed each other warily, no one willing to make the first overture.

"I don't know...I still don't think we can-Whoa! Where'd he go?" Xander gaped at the empty space where Whistler had been standing moments before. Buffy and Willow shrugged, equally mystified.

"Whistler?" Angel asked, and the children nodded. He shook his head. "I hate when he does that."

"Must be an angel thing," Willow surmised, then blushed at the strange look Angel gave her. "I meant the angel angel." The vampire decided this wasn't important and focused his attention on Buffy.

"What did Whistler say?"

"He said you were a good guy and we should trust you," Buffy said, her eyes shooting daggers at him that said that had better be true. "And someone else is coming to help us."

"Not Prince Charles," Willow said a bit sadly. Again Angel gave her a long look.

"Is she, you know, alright?" he asked Buffy, not unkindly, then felt a tiny foot kick at his shin. The dark-haired boy's eyes were blazing.

"I don't like you! You better not be mean to Willow!" he said.

"Cut that out," Angel said, looking around to see if they'd attracted attention. Sure enough, he saw some of the nurses and orderlies pointing in their direction and whispering.

"Uh-oh," Buffy muttered. Angel agreed with that assessment, and began to formulate a plan of retreat.

"I've got to get you out of here," he muttered. 

"Angel?" Buffy said in a strained voice.

"It's okay, Buffy. I'm not gonna let you get hurt. Get ready to run, kids."

"Angel!" Buffy said in that same pinched tone. He looked down and saw she was fidgeting, her face flushing, her whole manner conveying distress and possibly pain.

"What? What's the matter?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

"I hafta...you know..." came Buffy's mortified whisper.

"What?" Angel hissed impatiently, then felt his sleeve tugged firmly. Willow looked up at him with wide eyes and announced in an exaggerated whisper. "Buffy has to go potty."

Angel stared at her in horror, then looked at Buffy, squirming miserably, then at the other vampires, now preparing to cut off all the exits. He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. Finally he said one quiet, all-encompassing word.

"Damn."

***********

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Still not mine. I keep hoping.

***********

Angel looked down at the kids, then at the gathering vamps again. Nope, nothing had changed.

"Damn, damn, damn!"

"You're not s'posed to say that word. It's naughty," Willow told him solemnly. 

"Angel," Buffy wailed. He had to give her credit; she was being pretty quiet about it. He took Willow by the hand, holding his free hand out to Buffy, and motioned with his head for Xander to follow. As he did he spoke through his teeth to Willow.

"You. Cry."

Willow looked startled.

"What? Why? Why cry?"

"Start crying, dammit!" he hissed fiercely. "All of you. Cry!"

Willow and Buffy both started sobbing, whiles Xander glared at Angel for another moment before badly faking tears. Angel shepherded the children towards the exit, and as expected found his way blocked by one of his fellow orderlies, a massive vamp that had a good six inches and fifty pounds on him. Angel gave this behemoth his coldest Angelus smile, and was glad to see a spark of fear in the beefy vamp's eyes.

"Doc said we should keep them here till their 'beds' are ready. They already got out once."

"And somebody jumped the gun and already made a move, and scared them to death. Look at them!" Angel snarled in a fierce whisper. As if on cue, the kids started crying harder, and as Angel had hoped he started hearing sniffles from a number of the kids nearby, From the expression on the other vamp's face, he could see he'd heard it too. "You want a room full of crying kids, keep them here."

The beefy vamp hesitated for another second, then let Angel pass, falling in behind him.

"Fine. Let's get them someplace quiet, and then we might as well finish the job, right?"

"Sure," Angel said. "Just one question. Why just these kids? And why now?" 

"You know we can't eat the others until after tomorrow night. As far as why these three are on the menu..." the burly vampire paused, then shrugged, grinning hungrily. "Who cares? Doctor's orders."

*******

The British man in his early thirties looked out the airplane window as the air hostess droned on about the landing instructions and sighed. It had been a long, trying flight, and yet his journey had merely begun. His older companion shifted wearily in his seat and frowned.

"You have a question as to your assignment?"

The younger man shook his head, then nodded.

"It's just that...to be sent to America. California. It's a punishment?"

"Hardly. It's a great honor," the other man said, sniffing disdainfully to assure his companion that he felt it something of which he was not worthy. This had little effect on the younger man. On the point of his undeserving nature, they had agreement.

"Indeed," the younger man commented succinctly. Before his companion could warm to his reproachful lecture, he added, "So what is it like?"

The older man looked momentarily wistful.

"It's a blessing and a curse. A burden and a reward. You'll wish you could be doing anything else, and yet you can never even conceive of walking away." The older man smiled, a rarer expression than Haley's comet, as the arched eyebrow of his companion attested. "In short, it's much like being a parent. You do your best to prepare, but in the end she must succeed or fail on her own." 

The younger man swallowed, shifting slightly as if the mantle he was about to take on had just literally put additional weight on his shoulders. 

"I shan't fail you, Father."

The older man huffed faintly. They both heard the word that ended the sentence, the one that had not been spoken aloud. Again.

"I trust not, Rupert," Andrew Giles said finally. "But it is the girl you mustn't fail. Never forget that."

"I still don't think..."

"It's for her own good, son. The Council has done it this way for ages. This way you'll be able to train her properly, enhance her abilities. She must be ready to take her place when the time comes."

"Ready. Yes. Quite," the younger man said without enthusiasm, watching the plane taxi into the gate. "Still, one does feel like a bit of a..."

"A bit of a what?" the senior Giles demanded, but any reply Rupert might have had to make was lost in the bustle of the unloading aircraft. It wasn't until he had said his goodbyes to his Father and been seen safely on to the Sunnydale shuttle - and don't think he didn't know what this personal escort was all about - that Rupert perhaps finished that thought. Or perhaps not.

"Bastard," he muttered towards the rapidly shrinking figure of his minder, never taking his eyes off of him until he was completely out of sight.

*******

"Hey, look...ummm..." Angel fumbled; he didn't know the bulky vampire's name.

"Bitsy," the vampire said gruffly. Angel ignored the snickering he heard coming from the kids, hoping the vamp would take it for more crying.

"Right...Bitsy. You don't have to come with us. I got this under control."

"Hey, I'm just as hungry as you are. This job bites. All this blood of innocents, and we can scare them all we want but no snacking. Not that I'm questioning that."

"Yeah, that...that sucks," Angel commiserated awkwardly, just as Buffy tugged his pants leg hard. He looked down and her eyes were wide and pleading. He frowned up at Bitsy. "Hey, look, this kid needs to use the toilet."

"Me too," Willow piped up in a quavering voice.

"Me three," echoed Xander. Angel laughed uneasily.

"Please, I need to go now," Buffy whimpered.

"Stupid humans and their bodily functions," he said weakly, seeing the scowl return to their unwanted escort's face.

"Since when do we care what they want?"

"We don't," Angel quickly concurred, "But I don't much like the smell when they...you know. Turns my stomach. I'd rather just, you know, take care of it."

"Really?" Bitsy shrugged. "I always kinda liked it...to me it just enhances the whole scared sh-" Angel slapped his hand over the other vampire's mouth, testing his reflexes. The larger vamp quickly twisted away.

"Bitsy! Watch your language!" Angel admonished, and to his surprise Bitsy actually looked contrite.

"Oh, right, sorry," he stammered. "Sorry, kids."

"Bathroom!" Buffy screamed suddenly. "Now!"

"We're going," Angel practically sprinted down the corridor with the kids in tow. He screeched to a halt in front of the door marked 'LADIES' and threw it open. "In you go," he said to the children, and Buffy ran. Willow went to follow, but Xander stood in horror, frozen to the spot. Willow grabbed his hand.

"C'mon!"

"Will...that's the girl's room. I can't go in there!"

"You can't leave me an' Buffy alone," Willow answered practically. "We have to stick together...but in separate stalls, because this isn't share time."

"But...but...what if someone sees me?"

"No one's gonna see you 'cept the monsters, and they're gonna eat us after we go anyway," Willow stated, quick nervous questioning glances darting Angel's way. He had to hand it to her, as scared as she was she was playing along. "So. Come. On."

"But...I can't...not with you in here!" Xander protested, his face purple with embarrassment. Willow stopped, put one hand on her hip and then, oddly, pointed at her own face.

"Xander." Her tone was firm and quiet, but the boy caved immediately.

"Alright!" he squeaked, then closed his eyes as he took her hand. A moment after they entered and the door swung closed behind them, Angel smiled disarmingly at his unwanted cohort.

"Relax. They'll be back in a sec," he assured him, "which should give us just about enough time to do-thuuuugh!" The last word was supposed to be 'this'. On the word 'this' Angel had fully intended to punch Bitsy in the face; the words 'beaten to the punch' were never quite so apt. Angel found himself sprawled on the linoleum, Bitsy smiling unpleasantly down at him.

"Nothing personal, buddy. But there're only three of them, and they're awfully small. And I'm a growing boy." 

"Hate to break it to you, buddy," Angel said nastily, "but it's not gonna be that simple."

"It's not?" Bitsy asked with a frown. 

"Nope," Angel replied, leaping back to his feet, hands in fists. The bigger vamp grinned with way to much enthusiasm for Angel's liking.

"Awesome."

They circled each other warily for a moment. Angel heard a loud bang from inside the ladies' room and moved in front of the door.

"Stay there, kids! Don't come out!"

"Yeah, be in to eat you in a second!" Bitsy cheerfully added. Angel swept forward and grabbed his shirt in one hand,

"I don't think so," he snarled, bring his free hand forward. Angel thrust upwards against the bridge of the husky vamp's nose, hearing the satisfyingly wet crunch and squeal of pain as he spun behind him. He aimed a kick at the vampire's bending knee, staggering him but failing to bring him down completely as he had intended. Bitsy grabbed Angel's neck with an infuriated roar, lifting his feet from the ground. Angel moaned. "Uh-oh."

"That's right, little guy. Nobody messes with Bitsy!"

It was every bit as fearful a declaration as one might think, especially when punctuated by Bitsy's dissolution to ash. Angel stumbled as he returned to earth, almost dropping the stake he had pulled from his sleeve. He hid it again, looking around to make certain no one had seen the altercation, then knocked gently on the ladies' room door.

"Kids? It's okay. Come on." When he heard no answer, he continued a bit louder, "Hey, I took care of the...of Bitsy. All gone. Come on out." Only silence. Angel went to push the door and found it stuck, something heavy pushed against it. "Buffy? Hey...other kids? Come on, we've got to..." Angel pushed the door open fairly easily as he spoke, but wasn't expecting what he found inside. 

Or rather, what he didn't find. The room was deserted. The three children were gone.

***********

To Be Continued...


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Still not mine. I keep hoping.

***********

For a fleeting moment Angel panicked. He hadn't checked the bathroom before the children had entered, and he feared that something...but what? The windows were still covered over, the room had no other exit. There was no way out and no one there, except...

Heartbeats. Fast. Close. 

Behind him. 

Angel turned around. The door had been blocked with the industrial-sized restroom receptacle, which Angel reflected had been unusually heavy, too much weight for the children to have moved on their own. He sized it up and frowned. It didn't seem big enough.

Then it moved.

With a small smile he pulled off the lid, and Buffy screamed. The sound echoed to deafening levels before she registered that it was him. He lifted her out, and Willow's head popped up cautiously. She looked down excitedly.

"It's okay! Angel won!" 

The reply was too muffled for Angel to hear, but the yelp that followed it was loud enough. Angel saw Willow's stricken look and could only imagine. 

"Don't move," he admonished the redhead. Angel set Buffy down firmly then reached for a now-frozen Willow. As soon as he pulled her out the third head emerged slowly. Xander gasped for air, his face nearly purple.

"Sorry, Xander," Willow said meekly. Her eyes were wide and upset. "I kicked him. I didn't mean it." As soon as Angel put her down she ran to her friend. "Did I hurtja bad?"

Xander, still not quite able to speak, gave a quick head shake. Angel winced empathetically as he helped the third child out.

"What do we do now?" Buffy asked, her high voice echoing off the tile.

Angel made sure Xander could stand, giving the boy a manly commiserating pat on the shoulder, then turned to the blonde.

"I get the three of you out of here."

Willow and Xander both looked relieved, but Buffy shook her head.

"I can't go," she protested. "I'm supposed to...do something."

"I know. But it's too dangerous. I'll get you to your parents," Angel said. "You'll be safe."

"But the other kids..." Willow said slowly. "What'll happen to them?"

"I'll-"

"You don't know what to do," Buffy interrupted sharply. "You can't save them."

"I can save..." Angel started defensively, then changed tactics. "Look, I'm not discussing this. I'm the grownup here, and I say you go."

The three kids exchanged looks, and then as one crossed their arms and planted their feet.

"We're..." Willow began, her face placid but a glint of hard resolve in her eyes that took Angel aback.

"Not!" Xander said loudly, glowering his dislike of vampires, of Angel, of this whole situation. But in his eyes Angel saw a loyalty to these two girls that was so fierce the vampire knew he'd never seen the like of it in anyone, let alone a child.

"Going." The blonde girl eyed him with such certainty that Angel was speechless. She was only a child, but he sensed in her a maturity, command that was strange in such a small child. Strange and familiar...but he wasn't the sort to be pushed around.

"Yes. You. Are."

"No we're not!" the children chorused in unison.

"Yes you are!"

"No we're not!"

"Are!"

"Not!"

Angel opened his mouth and closed it again. *What am I doing? I'm almost two hundred for chrissake!*

"That's enough!" he said in his best adult voice.

"Not!" the children chorused again. Angel's vampire hearing picked up murmurs and approaching footsteps, still well down the hall but definitely coming their way.

"Shhhh! I hear someone-"

"Not!" Xander's muffled voice chimed in. Angel looked down to see Willow's tiny hand clamped firmly over her friend's mouth.

"Coming," he finished with a sigh.

"Somebody's coming?" Willow squeaked, then covered her own mouth at Angel's glare.

"Not!" Xander whispered stubbornly. Buffy elbowed him as Angel moved to the door, listening intently, his mind racing. There was no way he could walk them out of this room without being seen, and there was definitely a crowd coming down this corridor. He sensed four, perhaps five vampires. He had the sinking feeling that his cover was blown.

"Quiet. I need to think," Angel announced tersely as the footsteps grew loud enough for even the children to hear. He could get the kids out the window maybe, charbroiling himself in the process, but there wasn't going to be enough time. He tried to think of something to say that wouldn't scare them, but Buffy's frightened whisper summed up the situation nicely.

"We're trapped."

***********

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Still not mine. I keep hoping.

***********

"Bloody Americans. Child has a few bad, possibly prophetic dreams and the parents commit her! Why not call a priest, or, or, a shaman like a normal...and to take the girl to Sunnydale! Of all places!" Rupert Giles sputtered to himself as he left the Sunnydale Motor Lodge and stepped into the waiting taxi.

"Where to, guv'nor?" the greasy driver asked in a painfully bad cockney accent, grinning at his self-apparent witticism. Giles sighed. Since hearing his accent the driver had been gleefully resurrecting every cliche about the English he could, most of which appeared to Giles to have likely been gleaned from repeated viewings of My Fair Lady or Mary Poppins. Either way, it had become more than tiresome, but finding another taxi would waste precious time. Time Giles now knew he didn't have to lose. Curtly he gave the driver the address the Summers girl's parents had just given them, and the driver eyed him speculatively through the rear view mirror. "I get it now. You're worried about your kid."

"I beg your pardon?" the young Watcher said, frowning.

"Mister, I know that place. My nephew's going there. Kid keeps having nightmares, it's driving my sis to distraction...so, what's yours? Boy? Girl?"

"Girl," Giles answered absently, then started, flushing. "But she's not...rather, I'm not h-her..." The driver, still quick to leap to conclusions, saved Giles from having to come up with a lie.

"She's with her mom now? Divorce, right? Lotsa kids there have parents divorced, or, you know, missing. Deadbeats. Makes `em nuts, I guess."

"Indeed," Giles replied, feeling an ever-increasing sense of foreboding. It was possible, upon further reflection, that it was no accident of fate that Buffy Summers had been dispatched to this particular clinic. And if that was the case...

"Hope it works out okay for you, with your girl," the cabbie said sympathetically, and Giles leaned back against the vinyl seat, feeling the weight of his new responsibility like a stone on his heart. He prayed that the girl was alright, that he would be up to the task ahead of him, and all the passion of that prayer seeped quietly into his clipped response.

"As do I."

***********

Nellie was afraid, and it was making the Master feel more than a little irritable. He'd been around more than long enough to know that when a minion was hiding something from him. It was especially annoying when they tried to act like nothing was wrong, as the doctor was now.

"Tell me," the Master said softly, and Nellie started guiltily. He knew she would have blushed if she could.

"Everything is almost at the ready. We've convinced all of the parents that the children must stay overnight. This will give us ample time to prepare for the ritual." The master vampire noticed she was not quite meeting his gaze, and his eyes closed to angry slits, though his voice remained perfectly nonchalant.

"Wonderful The portents of my rising will begin soon. They will only increase their fear."

"Yes, my lord," Nellie said, believing him satisfied with her report and relaxing a bit. The Master took a moment, then pressed forward, his tone still light. 

"And the new girl, the one whose dreams disturb you so...I trust you've taken care of her, then?"

"I...there was a slight ch-change in plans," Nellie stammered, shifting nervously. "One of my minions apparently decided he wanted her all to himself. Probably as a snack..."

"You seem unsure, Nellie. This troubles me. This girl...troubles me. Nothing can go wrong, not when we're so close."

"It's being handled. We know where he's taken her and we're close to apprehending him now. If Angel hasn't-"

"Wait!" the Master interrupted, a strange expression on his face. He seemed suddenly more alert, and if Nellie hadn't known better, she would have said maybe even fearful. "Did you say-"

***********

"Angel! What do we do?" Buffy asked frantically. Three sets of saucer-like eyes were once again fixed on the vampire. This was getting really old, Angel decided. In the near-century he'd had his soul, he'd barely been taking care of himself, let alone anyone else. But now there were three children counting on him to get them out of one impossible mess after another. He scanned the room desperately but found no escape. He briefly thought about shoving them back in the wastebasket, but the way their hearts were hammering, he knew it would only buy him a minute, two at the most. Staring at the boarded up windows, he knew there was only one answer.

"Get ready," he said softly, moving over to the boards. "I'll only have a few seconds to boost you up before..."

"Before you catch on fire and die," Buffy finished, shaking her head firmly. "You can't!"

"Angel, no," Willow echoed softly. Angel smiled ruefully at the sorrow on the two girls' faces.

"Don't argue," he growled gently. "There isn't time. There's no other way." 

"Well, if you hafta..." Xander shrugged, taking a step towards the window before Willow yanked him back with surprising strength.

"Xander!" his friend rebuked softly. "We can't let him die. S'not right." The boy looked at his feet, sullen but chagrined.

"So what are we gonna do?" he asked softly.

"You're gonna do what I say for once," Angel snapped in response. "You're gonna let me do this."

"I won't," Buffy said, tossing her head so that her blonde hair flew. Tears streamed down her face and her breath began to hitch. "I w-w-won't!" Guided by an impulse he couldn't quite understand, Angel took her small body in his arms and let her weep against his shoulder. He stroked her hair and found himself fighting back tears. *I wish I could see her grow up,* he thought. *Might have had a daughter like her, in a different life. In any kind of life.*

"I'm sorry, Buffy," he said, gently rocking her. "Trust me, if there was any other way..."

"Wait!" Willow whispered hoarsely. "Listen!"

The vampires in the corridor had stopped moving, and Angel could hear confusion and sudden trepidation in their voices as their footsteps suddenly began making a rapid retreat. Angel barely registered this, however, as his vampiric hearing had picked up another sound, a kind of vibration...

"Get down!" he said roughly, dropping to his knees and pulling Buffy to the ground with him. After freezing for a moment in confusion, Xander hauled Willow to the floor, covering her body with his own and ignoring her squeal of protest. Less than a second later the building began to shake. The children screamed as chunks of tile and plaster began to fall. One of the boards covering the windows fell as well, and Angel cried out as a ray of sunlight fell upon him.

"Angel!" Buffy screamed, and the vampire rolled out of the deadly light, leaving Buffy uncovered. Despite the shaking ground, the girl somehow rose to her feet and stood petrified, staring at the tiled surface beneath them in horror. "The floor, Angel! The floor!"

Angel pulled himself to his knees as Buffy stumbled towards Xander and Willow. He saw immediately what had frightened the girl. A series of cracks were forming in the floor, coming together, becoming a fissure that was growing exponentially each second the ground was shaking. He rose to his feet.

"Come on!" Angel cried as he turned towards the door, swaying with the effort to remain upright. Hearing a squeal of dismay, he looked back to see that despite Buffy's attempts to help Willow and Xander, they were unable to regain their footing. He ran back towards them, hauling them to their feet and scooping Willow into his arms just as the tremor suddenly stopped. All four of them froze in place for a moment, trying to regain their bearings. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, scanning them for any obvious signs of injury. Buffy nodded, and he could feel Willow's affirmative headshake against his shoulder.

"I'm okay. Is it over?" Xander asked, and after listening for a long moment, Angel nodded stiffly. Willow's arms were now wrapped tightly around his neck, and he reflected wryly to himself that it was good that he didn't need to breathe.

"I think so, but I've got to get you out of here before our friends come back," he said, taking a tentative step towards the door. 

"The fastest way," Buffy added, grabbing hold of Xander's hand with one of her own, the other grabbing onto Angel's jacket. He smiled down at her, trying to look reassuring. The smile vanished as they heard a thunderous crack. The four screamed as one as the damaged floor gave way beneath them and they pitched into inky blackness.

***********

To Be Continued...


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: You already know the drill.

***********

Rupert Giles pulled himself upright with trembling hands. The taxi driver had shrewdly pulled off the road when the earthquake had started, but the violent shaking of the car had still been unsettling.

"That was a good one," the driver offered cheerfully. "Doesn't look like there's a lot of damage though."

"Can we continue?" Giles asked urgently. This hadn't felt like any ordinary tremor to him, but something much more ominous.

"Sure. Looks okay, far as I can see," the driver shrugged, shifting into drive and lurching the car forward. "Almost there, so we shouldn't run into any trouble. Although that was quite a little shakeup we just had. No telling what kind of mess is around...the...corner...holy crap!"

Giles was almost thrown into the front seat as the driver unceremoniously slammed on the brakes, but he was so transfixed by the sight before him that he hardly even noticed. The two men simultaneously opened their doors and got out, standing next to the cab and staring ahead in open-mouthed shock. The street ahead of them was, as they had anticipated, strewn with debris, the asphalt cracked severely in several places, but appeared mercifully free of any kind of human casualty. In fact, there were no other people in sight other than the two of them. Steam rising from the multitude of fissures lent the tableau a misty quality not unlike a dream. Except that several blocks ahead was the stuff of nightmares. One building was shrouded in an unnatural darkness, its damaged façade merely adding to its already existing atmosphere of malevolence. Clouds rolled overhead and a swirl of blue and red lightning was centered over the crumbling roof.

"Is that...?" Giles began, gesturing, and the cab driver nodded, his mouth still agape.

"The clinic. Jesus, the clinic!"

Giles blinked rapidly, righting his once again askew glasses with a steadier hand as he played out scenarios in his mind, coming to the only possible conclusion.

"Good Lord," he murmured to himself. "The clinic must have been built over the Hellmouth."

"What the hell is this? An eclipse or something?" the driver asked, fear edging into anger in his voice.

"Or something. I expect I'll walk from here. What do I owe you?" Giles asked crisply, fishing some bills out of his pocket.

"What? You're not going-"

"You've done more than enough, my good man. But I suggest you get yourself home post haste."

"You know what's happening?" 

"I have some idea," Giles confirmed grimly. "My...my girl is in there. I've got to...for her."

"Fire rescue must be on its way," the driver drawled doubtfully. "Maybe we should wait-"

"I cannot," Giles cut him off grimly, shoving the appropriate amount of payment into his hands, then adding almost the same amount as tip. "But I think you should go, now. Quickly."

"I-" 

Giles cut off the man by grabbing his shirt roughly and gesturing towards the strange phenomena above. 

"Look! It's spreading!" the British man said tersely. "There may not be much time." The cab driver paled and took an involuntary step back, then nodded, settling into the driver's seat of the taxi again. He started his engine, then reached out through the open window, grabbing Giles' sleeve.

"Mister?" the man asked with some urgency. "My nephew...what if he's in there?" Giles said nothing as the man's eyes misted over. "He's a good little boy. Smart as a whip. My sis'll be devastated if..." Giles shook his head in vexation. He scarcely knew what he was going to do to find the Summers girl, let alone launch a rescue mission for which he was ill equipped. Looking into the driver's eyes, however, he knew there was no way he could tell him he would do nothing.

"I'll...I'll try. What is the boy's name?"

The driver nodded as he clasped Giles hand, tears of relief glistening in his eyes. Giles felt the generous tip he had given the man slipped back into his palm as the man spoke.

"Daniel. Daniel Osborne."

***********

Pain. That was all Angel knew for a time, but through the pain he dreamed. He dreamed of a beautiful blonde woman, barely more than a girl, really. He saw her frown at him, and later smile, and later...the girl died, and the pain was overwhelming...

Then she was there again, miraculously alive and reaching out and Angel could almost touch her...could almost...somehow he knew that everything would be perfect if he could...if he could...but no, no, he was losing her...

"Buffy," he moaned, gradually coming back to consciousness, the dream fading away almost immediately as awareness came. Angel attempted movement and immediately stopped with a groan. He couldn't quite remember what had happened or how he got here, or where here was, but it felt like he'd just taken a stake between the eyes. A moment later memory washed over him. The earthquake. The floor. The children.

Oh God. The children!

Angel dragged himself to his feet despite the pain, using his supernatural vision to look around the darkness, his fears realized. They'd fallen into the sewer tunnels, he remembered. But now he was alone. The kids were nowhere to be seen.

"Buffy! Willow! Other kid...Xander!" he called out, near panic. He staggered for a moment before finding his footing and starting down the tunnel, fear keeping him upright as he counted on his advanced healing capacity to restore his strength. They weren't dead, he was certain. He could hear three heartbeats, faint and distant, but he had to find them quickly. Other vampires used these tunnels to travel. And they were sure to smell what he smelled now, the smell that terrified him. That was making it hard to keep his human face on.

Blood...

***********

"Buffy? Where're we goin'?" Willow asked in a small scared voice. The fall through the floor had been one of the most terrifying moments of her life, and that was saying a lot considering her life already had been scary enough to make her stop speaking. She'd blacked out for a moment, mostly from fright, but other than a few bruises she was fine. Angel had broken her fall. Apparently Xander and Buffy had landed on him as well. Still, vampires weren't the softest things; Willow couldn't believe that none of them was badly hurt. Of course, she couldn't see either Buffy or Xander very well, it was too dark, but they both said they were okay. They'd tried to wake Angel, but he'd just moaned a little. Then Buffy had told them to come, and they did, Willow holding on to Buffy's shoulder and Xander holding on to hers. Buffy definitely seemed to know where she was going, but the tunnels seemed endless and Willow was thinking maybe they should have waited for Angel to wake up after all. 

"Yeah, it stinks down here," Xander's voice wafted over. Her best friend sounded stressed and exhausted. Willow touched his hand on her shoulder with her free hand, giving it a reassuring pat. "Are we there yet? Wherever there is..."

"We're almost there," Buffy replied slowly. Her voice sounded strange to her friends, kind of sleepy. "Can't you hear it?" Both Xander and Willow strained to listen. They heard nothing that they hadn't been hearing since they'd fallen, including a few random squeaking noises that Willow wished she hadn't. The redhead shuddered.

"No...ummm...Buffy? You okay?" Xander asked nervously, sounding a bit out of breath.

"I think we should have waited for Angel," Willow voiced. "I don't like this."

"Willow's right," Xander panted. "We need to stop and...and..."

"Regroup," Willow offered.

"Yeah...that's what the army people say! Regroup!" Xander said in relief, then added in a low voice, "How do we do that?"

"You're the one who knows that stuff," Willow replied in a small voice. "I dunno how to-"

"Shhh!" Buffy shook Willow's hand off of her shoulder, and they could hear her moving away, the pace of her footsteps increasing. "Hurry! It's almost time." She sounded strangely at peace.

"No, no, no, this is bad," Xander muttered. "Buffy, wait! Don't!" His hand fell off of Willow's shoulder, just as a strange laugh echoed through the tunnels.

"Xander?!" Willow called out, whirling around, unable to see anything in the inky blackness surrounding her. "Xander? Don't leave me!" she wailed. "Don't leave me all alone!"

Suddenly a face emerged out of the darkness, yellow eyes glistening. 

"Oh, you're not alone, sweetness," the vampire said mockingly as the girl cowered before him. 

Willow found herself without the breath to scream.

***********

To Be Continued...


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: A vague disclaimer is no one's friend. Check in the earlier parts for a better one.

***********

She hadn't known she could be this scared.

Willow was running blind, not just from the panic - of which there was lots - but from genuine darkness. All she could hear above the hammering of her own heart and her own sloshy footsteps were the bigger, louder footsteps quickly gaining on her. She knew the vampire was going to catch her. Would have caught her already, except apparently he wanted to play with his food.

It was just like her nightmares about the playground. Only wetter. And gooier. It smelled a lot worse. And she pretty much doubted her mother was going to show up in the sewer to save her.

She felt a chill around her heart. This time, no one was going to save her.

She faltered, her small legs growing increasingly unwilling to move at this pace despite her fear, but the splashing behind her spurred her onward. Cold fingers entangled her hair and she found her voice in a scream that echoed shrilly down the tunnel. She was pulled around and lifted, yellow eyes glittering at her in amusement. The vampire's grotesque grin made her scream again.

"Thanks for that, sweetness. And for the run. It was invigorating," the vampire chuckled. "I appreciate the warm up-"

"Drop the girl."

The soft voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. The vampire frowned.

"Get your own snack. There's a couple more of these little ones running around here."

"She's not for you. She's already spoken for."

Willow's eyes looked around wildly. She knew the voice, but she couldn't place it.

"Umm, look here, Obi Wan. I don't know what this is about, but finders keepers," the vampire said snarkily, tilting Willow's head to the side for better access. His teeth brushed her throat and Willow whimpered...then found herself falling, landing hard in a crouch with dust showering all around her. She held her hand over her heart, catching her breath, amazed she was still alive as she heard something wooden fall beside her.

"Are you hurt?" the voice whispered. A hand touched her shoulder tentatively, and helped her to her feet

"I...I don't think so..." Willow said, looking up at her savior and nearly fainting. Dr. Ephor's cold angry face came into view.

"That'll change if you don't tell me where I can find your friend. Where is Buffy Summers?"

***********

Xander stumbled, reaching weakly for something, anything to hold himself upright. He'd soldiered on pretty well up till now, but his head felt kinda funny and his arm was on fire and all he wanted to do was lie down and sleep for a while. But he'd lost Buffy and Willow somewhere in the dark, and he needed to find them. They might be in trouble-

A hand clamped over Xander's mouth and he was pulled off of his feet. Struggling with his unseen attacker he kicked his feet violently, causing whoever was holding him to curse softly but not to let go. Panic rising, Xander redoubled his efforts, the twisting causing the hot pain in his arm to flare up unbearably. His outcry was muffled by the hand over his mouth as spots swam in front of his eyes. He suddenly realized that someone was calling his name, and that someone was the person with the steel grip who currently had him captive.

"Xander, stop! It's me. Angel."

"Anfwehw?" the boy's muffled voice squeaked. Angel grimaced, then spoke in tones that he hoped were reassuring.

"Yeah. I'm gonna take my hand away, but I need you to be quiet, okay?"

"Mmmph-mmphay," the boy agreed softly. Angel peeled his hand away and the child whirled around to fix him with a hostile glare.

"You're mean," Xander whispered sullenly. 

"Sorry I scared you."

"I wasn't scared. You couldn't scare me...ever!" the child responded, looking down. Angel shook his head, knowing they had more pressing concerns then his ability to scare the boy. Which, of course, he could, anytime he wanted to.

"Xander, where are the girls?" he asked. The boy's head snapped up, his brown eyes now wide with worry.

"Lost. Buffy said we should go down the stinky tunnel, and then she started to run and I sort of...I w-was dizzy and...and they were...they were gone and I couldn't find them," he said with rising panic, then added with hope at the vampire's alert look, "You know where they are?"

"No...I...I don't ...I'm not sensing anything."

"But you found me! You hafta find them!" the boy demanded. When Angel sadly looked away, Xander snarled, "What kinda vampire are you anyway?" 

Angel stiffened. This child was getting on his nerves, and wasn't anyone he was sent to protect. Plus the smell of his blood was driving him nuts. He struggled to control himself.

"Look, kid-" Angel said, trying to keep his voice even. It wasn't any use, though. The smell of the child's blood was overwhelming, and Angel could feel his face change, and saw the boy's face pale. He couldn't even pretend that he didn't take some satisfaction in that.

"Hey!" Xander squeaked. "You got monster face! Stop that!"

"Why, does it scare you?" Angel taunted in his scariest voice. Xander gulped, then stuck his chin out with a defiance that the vampire had to admire, however grudgingly.

"Nuh-uh, it's dumb. And yucky. And you're looking at me funny!"

"You're bleeding," Angel growled. Xander took a step back, cradling his arm protectively.

"Don't care. S'my blood. You can't have it. S'mine. Stop looking at me!"

Angel sighed, suddenly feeling foolish for bringing himself down to the child's level. He forced his features back into his human visage, his mouth set in a grim line. Without a word he started down the tunnel at a fair pace. Xander stared after him uncertainly for a moment before running to catch up.

"Wait! Where we going?" the boy panted.

"We're finding Buffy and Willow and we're getting out of here."

***********

Rupert Giles was unsurprised to find that while the building had sustained major damage it was still essentially intact. Still, it seemed to be essentially deserted, only emergency lighting brightening the din. There was a strange sound that Giles couldn't quite place, a kind of low muffled siren; intrigued, he headed towards the source, carefully picking his way among the rubble. It didn't escape his notice that while there was a great deal of damage, none of the outside walls or windows had suffered any. No natural light in the building whatsoever, and Giles knew what that meant. Vampires. On the Hellmouth. And his young charge right in the middle of it, if she was even still-

"She's alive all right, no thanks to you," Giles whirled, stake in hand, to take in the sight of an odd little man in a bad checkered sports coat and weathered fedora leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed. The man (more likely demon, Giles suspected) rolled his eyes and made a show of looking at a nonexistent watch. "Took your own sweet time getting down here, didn't you? Almost made a liar out of me...well I guess I lied to them anyway, technically, with that angel thing-" 

"Look here, mate," Giles said gruffly, his eyes glinting. "I don't care what kind of demon you are, though I'd venture to guess you're a balance demon."

"Whistler," the demon said, raising his eyebrows and letting out a low whistle that made Giles frown. "Damn, the Powers were right, you *are* good." 

Nonplussed, Giles shook his head. "I'm afraid I've not read anything about Whistler demons, but-"

"I take it back, English," Whistler cut him off with an annoyed grimace. "You're not so hot. Whistler's my name, and you should have quit while you were ahead. I`m a balance demon alright, working for-"

"I don't have time for a rundown of your CV. I have a child - a couple of children actually - to find."

"Actually, four," Whistler corrected with a smirk.

"Pardon?"

"Four kids. You really need to get all four. The Harris kid's okay, he's with Angel, unless Angel gets fed up and kills him. But the Rosenberg girl...she's in big trouble, she needs you pronto."

Giles shook his head. "You're talking nonsense, but perhaps you can be helpful. I'm looking for a boy named Daniel Osborne and a girl named Buffy Summers."

"Yeah, I know. But the other two are important. Big time. Future of the world in the balance stuff." Off of Giles' impatient look, Whistler sighed. "Fine. Have it your way. Daniel Osborne's in with most of the other kids. In there," Whistler said, with an off-handed wave. Giles looked in the direction of the gesture and saw there was a room at the end of the corridor, heavily guarded by vampires.

"Bloody marvelous," Giles cursed softly. "I suppose Buffy Summers is in there as well?"

Whistler opened his mouth to answer then closed it, a look of genuine shock on his face. He shrugged helplessly, suddenly seeming afraid.

"I have no idea where she is."

***********

To Be Continued...


End file.
